Enemy Objectives Unit

Enemy Objectives Unit

The Enemy Objectives Unit was a research group of economists that used input/output models in recommending Nazi targets to allied Eighth Air Force.

This group is often used as a case study in applied economics, in particular their suggestion to Allied commanders to destroy ball bearing factories, as their models showed them to be the most vital to Nazi industry [http://home.uchicago.edu/~mgugliel/guglielmo-war2.pdf] (this particular recommendation turned out to be incorrect as the Nazis re-engineered many machines to use other methods of friction reduction and because of cushioning reasons discussed below).

Recommendations were based on many factors such as the cost of bombs per unit of destruction, cushion (ability of Nazi industry to absorb the damage). Conventional target factories, such those that produced weapons, tank, and aircraft had developed methods of rapid recovery after being bombed and were considered to be less cost-effective for this reason.

One point which this group underestimated was the effectiveness of bombing German oil refineries—they had correctly estimated the amount of stocks kept but failed to account for the immediate conservation methods the Germans would employ. The later attacks on Nazi fuel reserves are thought by many historians to be a substantial factor in Nazi defeat.

The group also recommended against the Bombing of Dresden in World War II, on a purely economic basis.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Marine Corps Test Unit — #1 Active 1 July 1954 19 June 1957 Country United States Allegiance Department of the Navy Branch United States Marine Corps The …   Wikipedia

  • Presidential Unit Citation (United States) — Presidential Unit Citation Army and Air Force P.U.C …   Wikipedia

  • New Mobile Report Gundam Wing Dual Story: G-Unit — This article is about the manga series. For the rap group, see G Unit. Gundam Wing G Unit Genre Military science fiction Manga …   Wikipedia

  • Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines — Developer(s) Pyro Studios Publisher(s) Eidos Interactive …   Wikipedia

  • List of World War II topics (E) — # E. Frederic Morrow # E. Howard Hunt # E. Ion Pool # E. Lloyd Du Brul # E. R. Stephenson # E. S. Gosney # E. V. Loustalot # E. William Exshaw # Earffel Tower (Paris) # Earl E. Anderson # Earl G. Harrison # Earl Johnson (athlete) # Earl Johnson… …   Wikipedia

  • Robert Roosa — Robert Vincent Roosa (June 21, 1918–December 23, 1993) was an American economist and banker. He served as Treasury Undersecretary for Monetary Affairs during the Kennedy administration.Born in Marquette, Michigan, he studied at the University of… …   Wikipedia

  • Western Allied invasion of Germany — Infobox Military Conflict conflict= Invasion of Germany partof= Western Front, World War II caption= date= March 22 – May 11 1945 place= Germany result= Allied victory, unconditional German surrender combatant1=flag|United States|1912 flag|United …   Wikipedia

  • Flanking maneuver — In military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver succeeds, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which significantly reduces the… …   Wikipedia

  • 607th Air Intelligence Squadron — The 607th Air Intelligence Squadron is located at Osan Air Base, home of the 51st Fighter Wing, roughly 40 miles south of Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea. The squadron comprises six flights of approximately 180 officer and enlisted… …   Wikipedia

  • Italian special forces — The Italian Special Forces include special forces units from several branches of the Italian Military: the Esercito Italiano or Army, the Marina Militare Italiana or Navy, the Aeronautica Militare Italiana or Air force and l Arma dei Carabinieri …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”