The Guardia Asaltos (Assault Guards) were designed to be motorised shock troops. They were armed with both individual and collective weapons; from pistols, rifles, and light machine guns, to mortars, heavy machine guns and armoured cars. Initially organised into 14 Grupo Asaltos (18 in 1934) each having 3 companies supported by a specialist company (the GAsaltos Sosten formation). Each specialist company had a HQ element, a mortar and gas section, and a section of 3 Bilbao armoured cars. 