The Atlantic Wall and the Defense of the West, 1944 Rommel's
construction and mine-laying program called for a very large
expenditure of labor, and labor was scarce. It has already been
pointed out that Organization Todt was employed chiefly in the
major port fortress areas, on V-weapon sites, and, in the spring
of 1944, on railroad maintenance. In the apportionment of the
remaining labor supply among the armies, Fifteenth Army
continued to receive priority. Seventh Army thus had special
difficulty in completing its defense works. The LXXXIV Corps was
assigned three engineer battalions in January, two for fortress
building and one for mine laying. In addition, 2,850 men of the
former French Labor Service were set to work on a secondary
defense line immediately behind the belt of coastal resistance
points. Pleas for more construction hands were answered by
attachment of two 0st battalions. The only other available labor
source was the combat troops. Increasingly during 1944
infantrymen were employed in work de