Captain Ryer plan to "accidentally" cause a nuclear explosion by allowing mobile suits to be destroyed:
It doesn't work, because due to the way Minovsky Physics work, suit reactors only Go Critical if they're hit with beam weapons, which the Zeon weren't using. The brilliance comes in when you realize that Ryer doesn't know that, due to mobile suits being new technology and beam weapons being even newer.
Moreover, pilots on both sides knows about this and even when setting traps would intentionally avoid setting them off. This is because since they're the ones doing the fighting, this is an omnipresent danger in their lives. This goes to show just how disassociated Ryer is with the troops as had he built up any sort of rapport with his men, he would have easily known this.
Why is Norris Packard so much more effective in his Gouf than even the Gundam Team? Several scenes have depicted the mobile suits moving on their own without pilot input, showing that they have pre-programmed movement that can be activated either by console controls or verbal command. Karen was able to aim her beam rifle but had difficulty hitting something that was literally beside her when her Gundam's head (and sensors) were destroyed. This implies that most of the mobile suit's movements are actually pre-programmed algorithms that function off of other commands, such as auto targeting or movement commands, but still have the capability for manual control in the event those sensors and system are unavailable. Norris's Gouf, on the other hand, repeatedly demonstrates unique movement (such as putting a hand on a fellow Dom or his sword flourishes) implying that unlike grunt MS pilots, he controls his Gouf's movements manually and has the skills and reflexes to do so despite being an oldtype.
