 In November 1940 Air Marshal Sholto Douglas became AOC ( Air Officer Commanding ) RAF Fighter Command . On 8 December 1940 a directive from the Air Staff called for Sector Offensive Sweeps . It ordered hit @-@ and @-@ run operations over Belgium and France . The operations were to be conducted by three squadrons to harass German air defences . On 10 January 1941 Circus attacks were initiated by sending small bomber formations protected by large numbers of fighters . The escalation of offensive operations throughout 1941 was designed to draw up the Luftwaffe as Douglas ' Command took an increasingly offensive stance . These operations became known as the Circus offensive . Trafford Leigh @-@ Mallory , AOC 11 Group , penned Operations Instruction No. 7 , which he had written on 16 February . Leigh @-@ Mallory outlined six distinct operations for day fighters : Ramrod ( bomber escort with primary goal the destruction of the target ) ; Fighter Ramrod ( The same goal where fighters escorted ground @-@ attack fighters ) ; Roadstead ( Bomber escort and anti @-@ sipping operations ) ; Fighter Roadstead ( the same operation as Roadstead but without bombers ) along with Rhubarb ( poor weather ground attack operation ) and Circus operations ( see glossary ) . 
