During World War I, the German Army first deployed assault units during the Battle of Verdun. Initially, these groups consisted of three-man teams, and their tactics focused on flanking enemy trench positions. The soldiers were equipped with sharpened entrenching tools, daggers, bayonet knives, and grenades carried in large specialized bags.
The experience gained from these early operations led to the formation of dedicated assault companies, which became permanent elements within German divisions. By 1918, many formations of the Imperial German Army had their own assault battalions, typically composed of assault companies, an infantry gun battery, light mortar units, and flamethrower detachments.
Assault troops often operated in conditions where chemical weapons were used. Although the German Army was the first to employ chemical warfare agents, the Allies soon caught up, and German soldiers themselves were forced to experience the effects of gas attacks.