▁S - mine ▁entered ▁production ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁key ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁def ensive ▁strategy ▁of ▁the ▁Third ▁Reich . ▁Until ▁production ▁ceased ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁Germany ▁produced ▁over ▁ 1 . 9 3 ▁million ▁S - min es . ▁These ▁mines ▁inf lic ted ▁heavy ▁cas ual ties ▁and ▁slow ed , ▁or ▁even ▁rep elled , ▁drives ▁into ▁German - h eld ▁territory ▁throughout ▁the ▁war . ▁The ▁design ▁was ▁le th al , ▁successful ▁and ▁much ▁im itated . ▁The ▁S - mine ▁remains ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁definit ive ▁weapons ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁History ▁French ▁soldiers ▁encountered ▁the ▁S - mine ▁during ▁minor ▁prob es ▁into ▁the ▁coal - rich ▁German ▁S aar ▁region ▁in ▁September ▁ 7 – 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁during ▁the ▁S aar ▁Off ensive . ▁The ▁S - mine ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁withdraw al ▁of ▁these ▁French ▁inc urs ions . ▁The ▁mine ' s ▁performance ▁in ▁the ▁S aar ▁region ▁aff ir med ▁its ▁effect iveness ▁in ▁the ▁eyes ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁leadership ▁and ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁other ▁countries ▁to ▁copy ▁its ▁design . ▁After ▁their ▁experience , ▁the ▁French ▁nick named ▁the ▁mine ▁" the ▁silent ▁soldier ". ▁ ▁The ▁Third ▁Reich ▁used ▁the ▁S - mine ▁heavily ▁during ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁its ▁occupied ▁territ ories ▁and ▁the ▁German ▁hom eland ▁during ▁the ▁Al lied ▁invas ions ▁of ▁Europe ▁and ▁North