HMS Looe (1741) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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.svg){kind=small} Great Britain |
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| Name | HMS Looe |
| Ordered | 22 December 1740 |
| Builder | Thomas Snelgrove, Limehouse |
| Laid down | 26 January 1741 |
| Launched | 29 December 1741 |
| Completed | 3 April 1742 |
| Commissioned | January 1742 |
| In service | 1742-1744 |
| Fate | Wrecked on 5 February 1744 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | 44-gun fifth rate warship |
| Tons burthen | 685 46⁄94 bm |
| Length |
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| Beam | 35 ft 8 in (10.9 m) |
| Depth of hold | 14 ft 6.5 in (4.43 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 250 |
| Armament |
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HMS Looe was a 44-gun warship of the Royal Navy, Great Britain's navy. It was called a "fifth-rate" ship, which meant it was a medium-sized warship with two gun decks. The Looe was built to protect British trade routes and fight enemy ships.
On February 5, 1744, during a conflict known as the War of Jenkins' Ear, the ship ran aground. This happened off the coast of Florida, near a place now called Looe Key.
Building and Launching the Ship
The order to build HMS Looe was given on December 22, 1740. It was built by Thomas Snelgrove in Limehouse, England. The ship was designed based on plans from 1733.
Work on the ship began on January 26, 1741. It was officially launched into the water on December 29, 1741. This ship was the fourth one in the Royal Navy to be named Looe. It got its name from the town of Looe in Cornwall, England.
The Looe was finished and ready for duty by April 3, 1742, at Deptford Dockyard. In January 1742, Captain George Carnegie became its first commander. The ship was sent to serve in the Bay of Biscay, an important area for shipping.
Life at Sea and Final Voyage
HMS Looe sailed with another British warship, HMS Deal Castle, on July 7, 1742. They were near Vigo, a city in Spain. On July 19, 1742, they tried to capture some privateer ships from Ponta Nova. Privateers were privately owned ships that were allowed by their government to attack enemy merchant ships.
In 1743, Captain Ashby Utting took command of the Looe.
The ship's final voyage ended early in the morning of February 5, 1744. The Looe was towing a captured merchant ship that had a Spanish crew. Just after midnight, the Looe hit a hidden reef, a shallow area of rocks or coral. The merchant ship it was towing also hit the reef shortly after.
The Shipwreck and Rescue
When the ships hit the reef, the crew's main goal was to escape before Spanish forces could capture them. The Looe had three small boats, but these were not enough to carry all 274 people on board.
Luckily, a Spanish sloop (a small, fast sailing ship) was seen nearby. Some of the Looe's crew quickly chased and captured this sloop using their small boats.
After the ships ran aground, the crew worked to save any useful supplies, like food and water. Once everything valuable was taken, the Looe and the captured merchant ship were set on fire to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. The survivors then left in the captured sloop and the smaller boats.
The sloop managed to reach Port Royal, South Carolina, a safe British port. One of the smaller boats reached New Providence in the Bahamas. Another small boat was rescued near Cuba.
After the shipwreck, Captain Utting had to go through a court-martial. This is a military trial to decide if he was responsible for the loss of his ship. However, he was found not guilty.
Today, the remains of HMS Looe and its cargo are part of the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. This special underwater park in the Florida Keys is named after the ship.
