Was it a pity that Rommel choose to go back to celebrate his wife birthday prior Allied landing on Normandy?

Answer 1

For the Allied forces it was a great luck. Especially for the paratroopers since Rommel would have understood that this was no diversion and would have taken counter measures much earlier. He would have advanced his troops to the shores while it was still dark.
Since Rommel had always been one of the favorite generals of Hitler, he might have convinced the German HQ to release some Panzer divisions immediately and even persuade the generals to wake up Hitler. F.e. the 21th division lost a lot of time before given orders to move while she was ready to attack early in the morning. Now she moved only middle of the day (under heavy air attack).

But history is not made of ... What if ? Luckily for a lot of allied soldiers. At the end it would have made no difference. BUT for the first day it would have caused thousaunds of allied soldiers that would have killed the first day.

Answer 2

I doubt whether that made a difference, the big problem was his lack of control over the Panzer Reserves which Hitler retain at OKH control expecting a Pas de Calais landing. Only the 21st Panzer Division was available the 1st day of the landings. Let's don't forget the tank killers of the allied air force which decimated formations and rail lines.

Rommel should've been in charge of the Atlantic Wall at least a year earlier. His defences were far from complete by the time of the invasion.

Answer 3

Once the allies had even the smallest foothold on the continent the war was all but over. The Allied air superiority prevented the timely movement of German forces, reinforements, and supplies almost round the clock. The acis could have had 10 Rommels and still would have lost terribly.

Answer 4

Even if Rommel was there it is still doubtful that Hitler would have released the armies guarding the Calais area

Answer 5

does it matter the axis still got their butts beat like a drum.