{Letter written on 23.09.1941 by the then Minister of Armament and Ammunition Fritz Todt and addressed to the Heereswaffenamt Chief, Artillery General Ritter von Leeb.}
Reichsminister
Dr.Ing. Fritz Todt
Nr.:5493/41
Dear General!
There are a series of issues that cause me great concern. Because I have only been one day in Berlin and the remaining approximately eight days I will pass them out, I have to write to you. I would have preferred to clarify these issues with you personally.
The Heereswaffenamt has ordered that the Porsche tank be equipped not with the turret with a diameter of 2,000 mm provided by Professor Porsche but with the Henschel turret with a diameter of 1,900 mm. From the moment that Hitler called to join the project to Prof. Porsche I have the impression that Heereswaffenamt intends to gain the prestige of finally building a Heereswaffenamt tank . In the turret with a diameter of 1,900 mm it will not be possible to incorporate the Flak 41 . I have to inform you that during any appearance before the Führer, he asks me repeatedly if it is possible to equip the Porsche tank with the powerful Flak 41 . Prof. Porsche has assured me that he works to be able to incorporate it. I can not order Prof. Porsche to abandon this project, alleging that the Flak 41 should no longer be incorporated because the Heereswaffenamt has ordered the use of a smaller turret.
The Führer does not trust too much that instead of the Flak 41 another 8.8 cm cannon is built. The Führer wants the new heavy tank to be equipped with the Flak 41. I want to warn today about the Führer's reproaches that we will have to endure all of us if after the first presentation of the vehicles these are equipped with another cannon that is not the Flak 41 .
Personally and as Minister of Armament and Ammunition I defend by conviction but also because it is my obligation to defend with all my energy the interests of the Führer , the one in the new heavy tank that does not incorporate another cannon that is not the Flak 41 .
Because I manage this subject by personal order of the Führer, claim that fundamental modifications of the project are not carried out, such as the abandonment of the Porsche turret in favor of the Henschel turret, without first having communicated it to me. Today I have informed Prof. Porsche in writing that the Führer , as he has repeatedly made clear, expects the Porsche tank to be equipped with the Flak 41 in its current design.
During the meeting with Generalfeldmarschall Keitel, the Führer expressed his dissatisfaction because up to this moment only one single order of 300 units of Flak 41 has been made . The Führer is of the opinion that the industry should be entrusted with the production of several thousand Flak 41 in this way, since it would be a mass production, arouse their interest and involve themselves with greater energy. Also in relation to this issue I will personally take on the management with great dedication. After the first investigations, Rheinmetall has informed me that he has only been given a quota for the Flak 41of 60 guns. Regardless of the contingent, Rheinmetall has already planned the production of the next 60 cannons. I have informed Rheinmetall that, in cooperation with other companies, it should design a program to achieve the highest production of Flak 41 . I have assured Rheinmetall that they will have the necessary quota. I request that the Heereswaffenamt immediately order a quota for the production of the next 100 - 200 cannons. The Führer has proposed moving the production of Flak 41 to a new factory that was from the beginning equipped with all the means of a modern production and that had a great productive capacity. For the time being I have asked Rheinmetall to examine the planning of a factory that meets these requirements. Contrary to the proposals made up to now, it must be achieved that the production of the Flak 41 has no repercussions on the Flak 36 production .