The CCF tactics were strange to us, they being extremely effective by night and by infiltration and highly effective roadblocks. Even their methods of communications, such as the whistles used in small-unit assault above, seemed eerie and helped demoralize many of our troops.

On November 5, the CCF broke off contact to evaluate the results of their attack and the capabilities of their enemies. This was musunderstood by the UN High Command, who fatally underestimated both the strength and the intent of the CCF forces facing them. After re-grouping, Eighth Army again formed on the Chongchon River, and prepared to launch a general assault on November 25, an assault to get our forces "home for Christmas."

On November 27, China attacked once again with what they called the 2nd Phase Campaign. By December 6, when the CCF recaptured Pyongyang, Eighth Army was in full flight south in the longest retreat in United States history, and 1st Marine Division was just finishing a savage fight out of encirclement at the Chosin Reservoir. Thanks to the terrible casualties the CCF took while trying to crush 1stMarDiv, the withdrawal of X Corps from Hungnam was orderly and even permitted saving over 100,000 North Korean citizens who asked for safe haven in South Korea.

Such is war.