My brother-in-law saw the same thing in Korea. He said the first Chinese wave had rifles, the second wave had spears, knives, sticks, clubs.
The third wave had nothing but rocks and were expected to pick up dropped rifles.
China had so many excess men that they thought nothing of turning loose a mass in an attack on the UN troops. Just more men they did not need to feed if killed. Besides there seemed to be an unlimited supply of them.
My dad said when they started that bugle blowing, the horde was on it’s way. He said their strategy was hoping we couldn’t kill them fast enough. He also the Chinese would dope up their soldiers so much (to have the courage to run into fire) that many up them fell and rolled down the hills and could barely run being so doped up.
My dad tells my little brother more than he did me. I’m the oldest (and closest to that time, I guess. Thus he didn’t want to talk about it). But for decades I grew up thinking he was a preacher’s helper and cook’s helper—because that’s what I was told when I would bring up, “Daddy, what did you do in the war” questions.
Found out from uncles and some stories from my brother—he was in the thick of it. Including hand to hand in fox holes.
Many years ago I read the autobiography of Mao’s personal doctor. An American, of course.
He said that Mao sent the Red Army veterans of the revolution to Korea to get them killed, so he wouldn’t have to worry about them.