An American First War Victory Medal to Submarine U.S.S. L-Ten

An American First War Victory Medal to Submarine U.S.S. L-Ten - With official Submarine clasp and privately made U.S.S. L-Ten Clasp, on period ribbon, exhibiting wear, very fine. Footnote: USS L-10 (SS-50) was an L-class submarine of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 17 February 1915 by Fore River Shipbuilding Company of Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 16 March 1916 sponsored by Miss Catherine Rush, and commissioned on 2 August 1916 with Lieutenant (junior grade) J. C. Van de Carr in command. Assigned to the Atlantic Submarine Flotilla, L-10 operated along the United States East Coast until April 1917 developing new techniques or undersea warfare.  Following the United States's entry into World War I, submarines were needed to protect Allied shipping lanes to Europe. After an extensive overhaul, preparing her for the task ahead, L-10 departed Newport, Rhode Island, on 4 December, reaching the Azores on 19 December. She patrolled waters off the Azores for the next month before joining Submarine Division 5 in the British Isles in January 1918. Based in Britain throughout the rest of the war, L-10 and the other ships of her division conducted anti-U-boat patrols.  After the Armistice with Germany on 11 November, L-10 remained in England until sailing for the United States on 3 January 1919. Arriving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 1 February, the submarine operated along the Atlantic coast for the next four years, developing submarine warfare tactics. L-10 decommissioned at Philadelphia on 5 May 1922, and was sold on 31 July 1922 to Joseph G. Hitner of Philadelphia.(C:41)