Heh. I'm sure the scope wasn't broken. Eye exam is current as of a few months ago.
I had never actually seen a battleship before in this sim/game. When I was first looking I had a hard time figuring out the silhouette until I got a bit closer. That's why I was so shocked. If I see one again I'm going to do everything in my power to sink it!
Thanks all for the suggestions and comments.