Chilean perspective The day after the Chilean landing in
Pisagua, the Lieutenant Colonel of the Chilean National Guard Don José Francisco Vergara was sent, along with five officers to San Roberto, since there was news that an allied contingent of about 6,000 soldiers was concentrated there, for which an exploration party was sent to the desert in order to verify the Allied withdrawal and establish security and water supply zones for the rest of the troops. This party was commanded by Vergara himself, made up of a squad of the Horse Hunters Regiment, made up of 175 horsemen under the command of Captains Sofanor Parra and Manuel Barahona. Upon arriving at the Dolores station and finding its facilities intact, he reported his find to Escala, urging him to send troops to the site.
Allied perspective Juan Buendía had ordered to gather the allied troops in Agua Santa after the Chilean landing, while he was heading towards
Pozo Almonte. On that road there was a group of 90 Allied horsemen who had left Iquique on an exploration mission, the Allied horsemen did not have sabers but only carbines. This cavalry force belonged to the
Hussars of Junín and regiments, commanded by Peruvian Lieutenant Colonel
José Buenaventura Sepúlveda and Captain Manuel María Soto, respectively. Sepúlveda ordered the troops to rest by setting up lookouts when they arrived in Germania at 3:45 p.m. on November 6. A short time later the sentries alerted of the proximity of a Chilean platoon that was outpost. ==The battle==