Philippeville

Philippeville (French pronunciation: ​[fi.lip.vil]) is a Walloon municipality located in Belgium in the province of Namur. The Philippeville municipality includes the old communes of Fagnolle, Franchimont, Jamagne, Jamiolle, Merlemont, Neuville, Omezée, Roly, Romedenne, Samart, Sart-en-Fagne, Sautour, Surice (Wallonia), Villers-en-Fagne, Villers-le-Gambon, and Vodecée.

Philippeville in The War That Came Early
After the British military coup in 1941 and the French also changed sides, Hans-Ulrich Rudel's squadron of Stukas were transferred from the Eastern Front to a dirt airstrip just outside Philippeville in German occupied Belgium. Rudel was frustrated by the lack of action and complained to his commanding officer that they should have remained in Russia where they were doing the Reich some good. Colonel Steinbrenner explained that at the moment both sides were not interested in starting a shooting war and that the German diplomats might still salvage a peace in the West. However, the squadron needed to be there in case this failed.

Rudel accepted this but after a while of sitting on the ground, he talked his way onto a Fieseler Storch for a reconnaissance flight. Sgt. Dieselhorst accompanied him as a rear gunner and the two of them enjoyed the flight despite the ground fire from the French.