which were detonated by branches, showering troops with wood splinters. Troops were relieved after two days, as longer periods exhausted them and consumed their ammunition, bombs and rations. The persistence of the British attacks during July and August helped to preserve Franco-British relations, although Joffre criticised the large number of small attacks on 11 August and tried to cajole Haig into agreeing to a big combined attack. On 18 August, a larger British attack by three corps was spoilt by several days of heavy rain, which reduced artillery observation and no ground was gained at Delville Wood. Casualties Another forty-two German divisions fought on the Somme front in July and by the end of the month German losses had increased to men; the number of Anglo-French casualties was more than The battle for Delville Wood was costly for both sides and the 9th (Scottish) Division had from 1 to 20 July, of which the 1st (South African) Infantry Brigade lost . From the 3rd Division had The 5th Division lost from and the 17th Division had from The 8th Division lost from The 14th Division lost and the 33rd Division lost in August and from the end of August to 5 September, the 24th Division had Details of German losses are incomplete, particularly for Prussian divisions, due to the loss of records to Allied bombing in the Second World War. From the 7th and 8th divisions of IV Corps held the line from Delville Wood to Bazentin le Petit and suffered The 5th Division was not relieved from Delville Wood until 3 August and lost a greater loss than at Verdun in May. Infantry Regiment 26, which had been at full strength on 13 July was reduced on 20 July. The British official historian, Wilfrid Miles, wrote that many German divisions returned from a period on the Somme having suffered more than Bavarian Infantry Regiment 5 of the 4th Bavarian Division recorded "the loss of many good, irreplaceable men". Subsequent operations The Battle of Flers–Courcelette (15–22 September) was the third British general offensive during the Battle of the Somme and continued the advance from Delville Wood and Longueval. The battle was notable for the first use of tanks and the capture of the villages of Courcelette, Martinpuich and Flers. In the XV Corps area, the 14th (Light) Division on the right advanced to the area of Bull's Road between Flers