(345th Regiment; 5th Corps District—Posen. 347th Regiment; 2d Corps District—Pomerania. 3d Reserve Ersatz Regiment; 9th Corps District—Schleswig—Holstein.)

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.

1917.

Courland.

1. In October, 1917, the 87th Division relieved the 2d Division in the Illukst sector. While there it received its first reenforcements from the 1919 class.

2. Relieved from that front at the end of December, the division was brought together in the Kovno region. It got a great many men from the 23d Landwehr Division, especially from the 26th and 66th Landwehr Regiments.

RECRUITING.

This division was one of the most heterogeneous of the Prussian Army. Not only were its regiments recruited in three different Provinces, but the considerable amount of replacements received since November, 1917, were from various different regions—men from the class of 1919 from the 9th and 11th Corps Districts in November, 1917, later from the 14th Corps District; Landwehr from the 4th and 6th Corps Districts at the end of December; men from the 8th, 14th, and 18th Corps Districts (a small number) during its stay in Champagne.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 87th Division coming from Russia at the end of March seemed to have but a mediocre combat value (April, 1918).

1918.

1. The division held the quiet sector at St. Marie a Py until June 18, when it was relieved by the extension of the flanking divisions. The division up to that time had had slight losses and was available for active service.

2. It entered line on June 22 on the Aisne front near Bouresches. During this period the division was engaged in harder fighting. In the American attack south of Torcy the division lost heavily in killed and wounded on June 25–26. Three hundred prisoners were taken on those days. It took part in the German retreat until July 26, when it was withdrawn near Charmel.

Scarpe-Somme.

3. The division rested at Charleville until August 25. It entrained and moved to the Bapaume-Peronne area, where it was engaged on August 26–27, south of Longueval. It was pushed back by Flers (29th), les Boeufs (Aug. 31), north of Morval (Sept. 1), Le Transloy (3d), east of Manancourt and northeast of Etricourt (4th), northeast of Fins (7th), northwest of Gonzencourt (9th). It was relieved on the night of September 11–12. During this period in line the losses of the division were severe. More than 1,000 prisoners were taken from this division.

4. In spite of heavy losses it was given only a short rest at Vaucelles (south of Cambrai), and again placed in line east of Villers Guislain on September 18 for the purpose of delivering a counterattack. It was held in line at this point until about September 28, when it retired to rest at Walincourt.

Lorraine.

5. On October 12 the division came into line southwest of Chateau Saline. It rested on that quiet front until about November 1, when it was sent north, and on November 8 came in line at Haut Bugny. The last identification was northeast of Rocquigny on November 10.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as fourth class. As a sector holding unit it saw heavy service on the Marne and in Picardy.