▁caused ▁significant ▁cas ual ties . ▁The ▁ 1 2 th ▁Infantry ▁Regiment ▁at ▁Ut ah ▁Beach ▁suffered ▁what ▁it ▁term ed ▁as ▁" light " ▁cas ual ties ▁in ▁the ▁landing , ▁most ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁caused ▁by ▁S - min es . ▁ ▁S - mine ▁production ▁ceased ▁after ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁No ▁information ▁has ▁been ▁discovered ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁exact ▁fate ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁stock p iles ▁of ▁the ▁S - mine , ▁but ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁assumed ▁a ▁majority ▁were ▁destroyed ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁dis arm ament ▁of ▁Germany ▁after ▁its ▁surrender , ▁although ▁possibly ▁some ▁were ▁preserved ▁for ▁study ▁and ▁reverse ▁engineering ▁by ▁the ▁Al lies . ▁Many ▁direct ▁im itations ▁of ▁the ▁S - mine ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁following ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁military ▁occupation ▁of ▁Germany ▁and ▁the ▁post war ▁re building ▁of ▁Europe , ▁the ▁American ▁Army ▁Corps ▁of ▁Engine ers , ▁the ▁newly ▁established ▁French ▁government , ▁and ▁the ▁British ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Def ence ▁engaged ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁prolong ed ▁and ▁successful ▁mine - clear ing ▁operations ▁throughout ▁Western ▁Europe . ▁France ▁deployed ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁personnel ▁to ▁undert ake ▁this ▁task , ▁including ▁ 4 9 , 0 0 0 ▁German ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war . ▁This ▁joint ▁operation ▁elimin ated ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁fields ▁of ▁mines ▁on ▁the ▁war - t orn ▁western ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁continent ▁and ▁was ▁greatly ▁assist ed ▁by ▁the ▁German ▁policy ▁of ▁clearly ▁mark ing