 As the Luftwaffe meteorological centre in Paris had predicted two weeks of stormy weather , some Wehrmacht commanders were away from the front attending war games in Rennes , and many soldiers had been given leave . On D @-@ Day , Rommel was in Germany for his wife 's birthday and a meeting with Hitler to try to get more Panzers . The 352nd and 716th Divisions were placed on high alert after the Allied airborne landings , which had taken just after midnight behind Utah and Sword . The 2 @,@ 700 @-@ strong Kampfgruppe Meyer , near Bayeux as the divisional reserve , was sent to investigate the parachute drops behind Utah . Marcks recalled them when dawn broke and the scope of the invasion became apparent . One battalion was ordered to reinforce the German efforts at Omaha . The remainder were ordered to rendezvous with reinforcements at Villiers le Sec , 7 @.@ 5 miles ( 12 @.@ 1 km ) east of Bayeux , to launch a counter @-@ attack . Fired upon by Allied air forces , the column finally arrived in the late afternoon , at which time they were met by elements of the 69th Brigade . The British lost four tanks in the ensuing engagement but the Kampfgruppe was almost completely wiped out . Meyer was killed , and his detailed maps of German coastal emplacements fell into British hands . 
 As the Luftwaffe meteorological centre in Paris <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>had</mark></a> predicted two weeks of stormy weather , some Wehrmacht commanders <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> away from the front attending war games in Rennes , and many soldiers <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>had</mark></a> been given leave . On D @-@ Day , Rommel was in Germany for his wife <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>birthday and a meeting with Hitler to try to get more Panzers . The 352nd and 716th Divisions <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> placed on high alert after the Allied airborne landings , which <a href='been_done' title='6'><mark>had</mark></a> taken just after midnight behind Utah and Sword . The 2 @,@ 700 @-@ strong Kampfgruppe Meyer , near Bayeux as the divisional reserve , was sent to investigate the parachute drops behind Utah . Marcks recalled them when dawn broke and the scope of the invasion became apparent . One battalion was ordered to reinforce the German efforts at Omaha . The remainder <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>were</mark></a> ordered to rendezvous with reinforcements at Villiers le Sec , 7 @.@ 5 miles ( 12 @.@ 1 km ) east of Bayeux , to launch a counter @-@ attack . Fired upon by Allied air forces , the column finally arrived in the late afternoon , at which time they <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>were</mark></a> met by elements of the 69th Brigade . The British lost four tanks in the ensuing engagement but the Kampfgruppe was almost completely wiped out . Meyer was killed , and his detailed maps of German coastal emplacements fell into British hands . 
As the Luftwaffe meteorological centre in Paris done predicted two weeks of stormy weather , sum Wehrmacht commanders was away from the front attending war games in Rennes , and many soldiers done been given leave . On D @-@ Day , Rommel was in Germany fir his wife  birthday and a meeting with Hitler to try to get more Panzers . The 352nd and 716th Divisions was placed on high alert after da Allied airborne landings , which done taken just after midnight behind Utah and Sword . The 2 @,@ 700 @-@ strong Kampfgruppe Meyer , near Bayeux as tdadivisional reserve , was sent to investigate thdaarachute drops behind Utah . Marcks recalled them when dawn broke and the scope of thedavasion became apparent . One battalion was ordered to reinforce the German efforts at Omaha . The daainder was ordered to rendezvous witt reinforcements at Villiers le Sec , 7 @.@ 5 miles ( 12 @.@ 1 km ) east of Bayeux , to launch a counter @-@ attack . Fired upon by Allied air forces , the column finally arrived in the late afternoon , at which time they was met by elements of the 6da Brigade . The Brdash lost four tanks in the ensuing engagement but the Kampfgruppe was almost completely wiped outt . Meyer was killed , and his detailed maps of German coastal emplacements fell into British hands .