The computer keeps the British ships on a relatively straight course, while a real commander would maneuver repeatedly. Steering toward the enemy's previous fall of shot moves the ship away from the position assumed by the next corrected salvo. That zigzagging can disrupt fire control even though it also changes speed and formation geometry. The omission matters especially in a small engagement, where every individual hit changes a much larger share of the force balance.
Notable Point · 1:12:23-1:14:52
Maneuvering toward the previous fall of shot
A real battleship would zigzag toward earlier shell splashes to disturb the enemy firing solution, a tactic the computer-controlled ships underrepresent.