How did the automatic steering system of the U.S. battleship New Mexico contribute to control-system research?

The study of the automatic steering system of the U.S. battleship New Mexico, published in 1922, served as a significant contribution to the development of control theory.1

Following the foundational work of James Clerk Maxwell on the steam engine governor, the analysis of the New Mexico's steering system helped generalize early theoretical models of control systems. This research was instrumental in the evolution of control-system theory, bridging the gap between early mechanical feedback devices and the more advanced servomechanism theories that emerged in the 1930s. These advancements ultimately provided the essential framework for complex applications during World War II, such as fire-control systems and anti-aircraft batteries.1