North of the 38th parallel, the Pyongyang-Wosan road and rail line served as the only possible route of communication between UN Forces on the eastern and western sides of the peninsula. Separated by the Taebaek Mountains running north-south, X Corps and the Eighth army were forced to fight independent of each other at the strategic level. On the tactical level, the rugged canalizing terrain combined with a lack of roads and  other infrastructure meant that even battalions and companies were disrupted. The consequence of this disruption was a total lack of cohesion in maneuver and a vulnerable formation that was “strung out from hell to breakfast.” This separation meant that even as Chinese forces began to engage UN troops on the ground, reports were inaccurate and slow. Had the UN forces practiced tactical patience during their movement north and maintained a cohesive front with effective communication, it is likely that they would have been able to react far more successfully to the initial Chinese offensive.