Technology & Combat Characteristics
The MS-05B was the late production variant of the Zaku I and the first mobile suit assigned to combat units. An improvement over the MS-05A Zaku I Early Type, the B Type was visually identical to the A Type, but featured an improved cockpit design and better armor material. Its weapons included a custom machine gun, a 280mm bazooka, and a spike shield. It could also be equipped with the standard weapons used by the MS-06 series, including the 120mm machine gun and the heat hawk.
History
The MS-05B was rolled out in May, U.C. 0074, three months after the MS-05A.
On May 8, U.C. 0079, a Zaku I guarding Zeon's 67th supply depot in the Arizona desert was attacked and destroyed by a MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type piloted by Federico Czariano of the Earth Federation Forces commando team Semovente Corps (which had been conducting false flag operations in the area), possibly making it the first mobile suit to be destroyed by another mobile suit in combat.
One MS-05B was piloted by Gadem, a veteran pilot who has been a member of the Zeon military since before the war began. By September, U.C. 0079, Gadem had left the frontline due to his age and became the captain of a Papua-class supply ship. His ship was charged with resupplying Char Aznable's squadron after the losses it sustained during the attack on Side 7.
According to one account, while Char's Musai-class light cruiser Falmer was being resupplied, the White Base and its mobile suit team attacked the two ships. Though his Papua was heavily damaged and eventually sank, Gadem still completed the resupply mission by dropping most of the supplies from the ship, including a MS-06F Zaku II, which he pushed out of the ship using his Zaku I. Angered by the destruction of his ship, Gadem attacked the RX-78-2 Gundam in the Zaku I, ignoring Char's attempt to stop him. Despite being unarmed and completely outclassed by the cutting edge Gundam, Gadem managed to dodge a beam saber attack from the Gundam and land a shoulder tackle on its chest, but the Zaku I was soon destroyed by the Gundam's beam saber during close combat, killing Gadem.
A Zaku I-based MS-06V Zaku Tank was used by Zeon forces in South East Asia. This Zaku Tank was apparently an engineering vehicle, being unarmed save for two large crane arms. It was apparently used to help repair the damaged Apsaras I before being stolen by Eledore Massis and Michel Ninorich of the the Federation's 08th Mobile Suit Team and used to escape the Zeon-captured village.
Another unit was piloted by Topp, a Zeon mobile suit team leader under Zeon's European forces. In November, U.C. 0079, after Zeon's defeat at Odessa, Topp and her two subordinates, Dell and Arth, retreated toward the Far East. On the way there, they attempted to obtain food at a village that was secretly home to an anti-Zeon guerilla. However, Arth provoked the villagers, resulting in a battle between Topp's team with the guerilla and the 08th Mobile Suit Team. Topp's Zaku I was eventually immobilized by a rocket fired by 08th Team leader Shiro Amada. As a mob from the village approached her Zaku I, she desperately fired two S-mines at them. Though Shiro managed to shoot one down, the other detonated and killed the entire mob. Shiro then finished Topp by destroying the cockpit with another rocket.
During the Battle of A Baoa Qu, Zeon mobilized all available weapons, including the outdated Zaku I. At least one Zaku I was seen on the surface of A Baoa Qu alongside Zeon's latest mobile suit, the MS-14A Gelgoog.