On 16 December 1944, the "Wehrmacht" launched a major surprise attack on the Allied lines in the Ardennes in what would become known as the Battle of the Bulge. The attack landed on elements of VII Corps as well, and some of the fiercest fighting of the war for the 4th MCG occurred on 19–21 December on the edges of the Hürtgen Forest along the Roer River. Here, the troopers of the 4th MCG were ordered to seize the heavily defended town of Bogheim and the high-ground from the southeast. On the 19th, under a blanket of heavy fog, two troops from the 4th Squadron infiltrated Bogheim undetected and engaged the Germans, but the two other troops coming to support were spotted and engaged in the open as the fog lifted, and took heavy casualties. Despite this, the Germans were driven out of town by the afternoon. All four troop commanders were casualties, as well as a quarter of all the enlisted men. Nevertheless, the 4th Squadron charged, dismounted, across 200 yards of open field the next morning to capture the nearby high ground. In the Battle of Bogheim, 4th Squadron had defeated two battle groups of the 947th German Infantry and company of the 6th Parachute Regiment. For its bravery in action despite heavy casualties, the 4th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation.