Operation Hannibal
Confederate Tanks establishing control over Rome's roads

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Date	11 March 2023
Location	Rome
Result	Confederate Defeat • Confederate failure to breach Italian spawn • Italians temporarily removed from Turkish front • Confederate soldiers pushed out of Rome
Belligerents
Confederate States of America		Kingdom of Italy Independent State of Croatia
Commanders and leaders
Publiustullius		Dam_Son
Strength
~8 2 Tanks (At peak)		~7 (At peak)

Operation Hannibal, or, The Battle of Rome, was a major battle on the final war day of i38, which pitted the formerly allied Confederate States of America and the Kingdom of Italy against eachother in a brutal urban struggle over the very heart of Rome. The war was undeclared, and as such, flag claiming was not a factor in the conflict. The Confederate deployment of tanks, with the relatively vulnerable Italian spawn and chest room, combined with easy entrance into the city, allowed for the Confederacy to pose a serious threat to the Roman ability to wage war.

After a shockingly swift Confederate victory over English remnants in Nova Scotia, and, after a flaccid attempt to decisively alter the tide of battle in and around Greece, CSA high command decided to alter the course of the Greco-Turkish war by depriving the Greeks of their wealthiest and most technologically advanced ally, Italy. Due to the fact that the CSA had alliances with both Turkey and Italy, flag war was off the table. The only realistic way to assault Rome was to insert an armored strike force into Rome, in an attempt to take out the Roman chest room, and / or spawncamp the Romans.

Operation Hannibal began with Confederate forces using the port system to sail into Southern France. The name of the nation was changed to Carthage, and Roma delenda est was spammed in chat. Halfway through the crossing, the Confederate army realized that only two people had brought tanks. Being impatient, it was decided to push on towards Rome. Upon reaching the northern plateau adjacent to Rome, tanks were deployed, and the entire force marched into the front gate. The Confederate army was below full strength. The day's rally had been lower than previous days, and several Confederates had either logged off, or were engaged in Brazil, Germany, or, Finland. Italy had recently been bolstered by the influx of several refugees from France, and was bolstered by Rurik from Croatia.

The Italians were caught entirely off guard. Nano was the first casualty. Any Italians in the city were quickly killed. However, not being familiar with the layout of the city, or, indeed, the exact whereabouts of the Italian spawn, the CSA was unable to capitalize on this momentary coup, allowing for the Italians to organize.

An intense urban battle developed, with the Confederates hold the streets (for the most part), and Italians using the extensive network of roofs and ledges in order to drop molotov cocktails (which were not initially available to the Italians; they had to smelt glass and mass produce them in the base while fighting raged on above) and take shots at the invaders. Extensive use of grenades and flamethrowers was seen. Confederate tanks continued to pummel the Italian base, at one point allowing for the Confederates to briefly fire shotguns into the Italian spawn room. However, Confederate numbers were eventually reduced throughout the fighting. After losing Tanks to molotovs, the streets began to be openly contested, resulting in a reassertion of Italian control over the center of Rome, with fighting developing around the docks and near the northern entrance.

A couple of insertions were attempted to push the Italians off the streets, however with numbers and interest dwindling, and with Italian resistance growing, the operation fizzled out.

The Battle of Rome soured Italo-Confederate relations. Despite being an operational failure, it ruined Italian plans for campaigning against Turkey.