Gundam Archives

The Magella Attack: Zeon’s Main Battle Tank

The Magella Attack was the primary battle tank of the Principality of Zeon’s ground forces during the One Year War. Designed for use on Earth, it was a crucial component of Zeon’s military strategy, providing artillery support to infantry and mobile suits.

Design and Features

The Magella Attack consisted of two parts: the hull, known as the Magella Base, and the turret, known as the Magella Top. The Magella Top was equipped with a 175mm cannon, which was effective against lightly armored targets but struggled against mobile suits. The cannon was mounted high above the hull, allowing for long-range artillery fire, but it could not rotate, requiring the entire tank to move to aim. The Magella Top also featured a simple canopy cockpit, providing the pilot with a wide view of the battlefield.

The Magella Attack’s most distinctive feature was its ability to separate the Magella Top from the Magella Base, allowing it to fly using VTOL engines mounted in the wings on either side of the turret. This enabled the tank to attack from the air and continue operating even if the hull was destroyed. However, the accuracy of the cannon was severely reduced while flying, and the tank could only sustain flight for a few minutes.

Variants

Several variants of the Magella Attack were developed for different environments. The European Front variant featured smoke dischargers, while the Southeast Asian Front variant was armed with a coaxial gun. The Magella Eins, a modified version of the Magella Attack, was also developed.

Combat History

The Magella Attack saw extensive action throughout the One Year War, including during the First Earth Landing Operation and the Battle of Odessa. Its ability to continue fighting even after the hull was destroyed made it a formidable opponent, but its limited mobility and vulnerability to mobile suits ultimately limited its effectiveness.

Legacy

The Magella Attack’s design influenced the development of later Zeon mobile suits, including the Zaku Tank, which was formed by attaching the Magella Base to the upper body of a Zaku. The Magella Attack’s main cannon was also repurposed as a handheld weapon for Zakus.

Specifications

• Overall Height: 13.4 meters
• Overall Length: 15.9 meters
• Overall Width: 7.4 meters
• Max Weight: 42.4 metric tons
• Armaments: 175mm cannon, 3-barrel 35mm machine gun, coaxial gun
• Propulsion: VTOL engines (Magella Top only)

Appearances

The Magella Attack has appeared in various forms of media, including the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime series, the 08th MS Team OVA, and several video games and manga series.