The PLA "Short Attack" was more than just infiltration, though. It was specifically designed to minimize Chinese disadvantages in regards to equipment and communication by having units advance in unpredictable (to the UN coalition) pre-planned (by Chinese command) 'waves' that hid where the eventual breakthrough was intended, keeping pressure on UN positions without betraying where the largest concentration of Chinese troops would be (discovery rendering them vulnerable to UN fire support) until the last moment. This meant that radio equipment and rapid redeployment of motorized or mechanized reserves - which the PLA did not have a whole hell of a lot of at the time - were not needed to carry out a successful attack.

However, this meant that once such an attack was in motion, there wasn't much in the way of ability to recall it if the situation was different than the Chinese brass had anticipated - the "Short Attack" would simply continue until exhausted, just as it would have in a successful scenario. Men fed into the meat-grinder for no real effect.