In November 1940 Air Marshal Sholto Douglas became Air Officer Commanding (AOC) 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-shipping operations); "Fighter Roadstead" (the same operation as "Roadstead" but without bombers) along with "Rhubarb" (poor weather ground attack operation) and "Circus" operations (see glossary).