Robert Doughty wrote in 2005, that the French on the Somme had failed to combine their attacks with the British and in early September attacked sequentially. Joffre ordered the French offensive to continue as long as weather allowed and in September and October, French attacks were as piecemeal as the British. In 2005, Prior and Wilson analysed the British on the Somme from which included the fighting for Guillemont. After sixty days, thirty-two British divisions had been engaged and lost the British were bogged down, having advanced on a front and the deeper advance at Guillemont had only occurred at the end of the period. On fifty days, an average of eight divisions were in the line but fewer than six battalions attacked and only twice did more than half of the battalions in the line attack. British assaults were constant, small and narrow-front affairs, against which the Germans could concentrate artillery and inflict many casualties. British divisions stayed in the front line from two to and casualties varied from day in the 5th Division, to fewer than day in the 23rd Division.