1915.
The 87th Division as well as the 89th Division came from the Thorn Corps, which was engaged on the Eastern Front from the beginning of the war.
Russia-Poland.
1. Its battalions were made into a division at the beginning of June, 1915. Before that time the Ersatz battalions, from which it was formed, belonged to the Griepenkerl and Plantier detachments (Thorn Corps), and fought near the Polish frontier between the Vistula and Prasnysz. These were the Leimbach-Zerener regiments which became the 345th, the Runge which became the 346th and the Schwarz which became the 347th, and to which latter unit the 8th Landsturm Regiment organized in June, 1915, at the Elsenborn cantonment was joined.
2. Beginning in July the elements of the 87th Division took part in the offensive against the Russians: Battles between Drobin and the Vistula, then to the west of Pultusk; pursuit fighting up to lower Narew (July 18–22); siege of Novo-Georgievsk (Aug. 13–19); battles of Niemen (Aug. 31-Sept. 8) and of Vilna (Sept. 9–26).
3. After having fought between the Bogin and Drisviaty Lakes (Oct. 5–19), the division took up a position in that region.
1916.
Drisviaty Lake.
1. The 87th Division occupied the Drisviaty-Vidzy line the entire year 1916 and until the month of October, 1917.