HMS Roebuck was a 44-gun, fifth-rate sailing warship of the Royal Navy which carried a main battery of twenty 18-pounder (8.2 kg) long guns.

In 1744, part of a squadron under Admiral John Norris, Roebuck escorted a large convoy en route to Lisbon but became separated when she went in pursuit of an enemy vessel.

When the Seven Years' War began in 1756, Roebuck was sent to the West Indies, where she participated in the attack on Martinique in January 1759 and the capture of Guadeloupe in April.

[4][3] Although France and Great Britain were technically at peace, a declaration of war was expected at any time and the possibility of invasion from a large fleet of French transports at Dunkirk kept Norris from pursuing.

[6] Norris, required to divide his forces but wanting to prevent the Channel Fleet from becoming too depleted, decided that eight of his most powerful vessels, under the command of Captain Charles Hardy would chaperone Mathews' supplies only as far as Brest.

[6] Roebuck became separated from the convoy, when she went in pursuit of, and eventually captured an 18-gun Spanish vessel, 150 nautical miles (280 kilometres) west of Cape Finisterre.

[17] Roebuck spent some time at anchor in the port of Leghorn while the powerful ships-of-the-line bombarded the city of Genoa; leaving on 12 October to rejoin the main fleet.

[18] In December 1746, Roebuck, then under the command of Captain John Weller, delivered cannon to the army of Maximilian Ulysses Browne while it lay siege to Antibes.

Browne also thought the siege ineffective, suggesting the town was being resupplied whenever foul weather blew the blockading ships off station.

[22][23] To prevent further attempts, Captain George Townsend, at that time commanding a squadron off Provence, was ordered to extend his patrol to include the islands.

[26] To facilitate attacks on French possessions in the Caribbean, the Leeward Squadron was joined by eight ships-of-the-line and transports containing 4,400 troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Peregrine Hopson.

[27] Commodore Sir John Moore retained command of naval operations and the force set sail on 13 January, arriving two days later in Fort-Royal Bay.

[28] At 08:00 on 16 January, Roebuck with HMS Winchester and Woolwich, opened fire on the batteries in Cas des Navieres Bay, where it was intended to land the troops.

[29][28][30] The battery at Cas des Navieres was silenced when the magazine exploded, but Roebuck and the others continued to fire at the shore so the enemy was unable to form up and oppose a landing.

[31] Without access to drinking water, and out-numbered by 10,000 French troops and militia, the British were later forced to withdraw and, after a short bombardment of Saint-Pierre on 19 January, it was decided to abandon the invasion altogether and instead attack Guadeloupe.

[33] On 13 February, Moore sent Roebuck with Berwick, Woolwich, Renown and two bomb ketches to attack Fort Louis, at Point à Pitre, on the Grande Terre side of the island.

While Roebuck was left to guard the transports, Moore gathered his ships and set sail for Prince Rupert's Bay, Dominica where he was able to resupply and was best placed to monitor the enemy's movements.

It was accepted by Major General John Barrington, Hopson having died from a tropical illness at the end of February, and terms were agreed on 25 April.