In mid-March the U.N. forces launched a counter-strike in answer to the Communists offensive that was commenced in early January across a wide swath of the front line. General Ridgeway stated that although the Communists were in retreat, they still had an enormous pool of men waiting in the rear:
"Intelligence officers at Eighth Army headquarters backed up his statement, reported that the Communists still have 200,000 men in the line, another 100,000 in reserve south of the Yalu River and possibly 200,000 across the river."
