Enemy Objectives Unit

The Enemy Objectives Unit was a research group of economists that used input/output economic 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[1] (this particular recommendation turned out to be incorrect as the nazi's 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 aircrafts had developed methods of rapid recovery after being bombed and were considered to be less cost-effective for this reason.