In the space of a week between 25 and 31 May 1938, the German army tripled its request for steel from 400,000 extra tons to more than 1.2 million.25 And this was only the beginning. In the immediate aftermath of the May crisis, the Luftwaffe’s planning also underwent a quantum leap as Goering placed an order for a fleet of no less than 7,000 Ju 88 twin-engined bombers.
