On 17 December 1918, the commander of the 6th Estonian Infantry Regiment, Juhan Puskar [et], ordered a group of Scouts to monitor the withdrawing German forces in Saarde Parish, Pärnu County.

The group of soldiers were ordered to refrain from starting a battle with the German forces during negotiations.

[1] On December 23, 40 Estonian Scouts with two heavy machine guns left Mõisaküla headed towards Punapargi.

The Estonian soldiers dismounted from the train, and reportedly a German officer fired his revolver at Verner Limberg.

An Estonian private reportedly hid his rifle and pretended to be a sawmill worker, surviving the Germans surrounding him.