▁Africa . ▁The ▁mines ▁were ▁produced ▁in ▁large ▁numbers ▁and ▁plant ed ▁liber ally ▁by ▁def ending ▁German ▁units . ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁German ▁T enth ▁Army ▁deployed ▁over ▁ 2 3 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁them ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁defense ▁prepar ation ▁during ▁the ▁Al lied ▁invasion ▁of ▁Italy . ▁ ▁S - min es ▁were ▁deployed ▁on ▁the ▁be aches ▁of ▁Norm andy ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁the ▁anticip ated ▁invasion ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁general ▁program ▁of ▁heavy ▁min ing ▁and ▁fort ification . ▁On ▁the ▁Î les - St .- M arc ou f , ▁just ▁off ▁Ut ah ▁Beach , ▁where ▁the ▁Al lied ▁pl ann ers ▁fe ared ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁had ▁established ▁heavy ▁gun ▁batter ies , ▁R omm el ▁had ▁ordered ▁S - min es ▁to ▁be ▁" s own ▁like ▁grass ▁seed ." ▁To ▁build ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Wall , ▁Germ ans ▁deployed ▁millions ▁of ▁mines ▁of ▁various ▁types , ▁anti - person nel ▁mines ▁( such ▁as ▁the ▁S - mine ), ▁d ug ▁hundreds ▁of ▁kilom eters ▁of ▁tren ches , ▁laid ▁bar bed ▁wire , ▁and ▁constructed ▁thousands ▁of ▁beach ▁obst acles . ▁The ▁mines ▁were ▁subsequently ▁used ▁to ▁defend ▁German ▁positions ▁during ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Norm andy ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁Northern ▁France ▁and ▁the ▁German ▁border . ▁S - min es ▁were ▁typically ▁used ▁in ▁combination ▁with ▁anti - t ank ▁mines ▁to ▁resist ▁the ▁adv ances ▁of ▁both ▁arm or ▁and ▁inf antry . ▁The