After reading your posts here I came to the following conclusions:
#1 - your RFB install is busted (judging by the many 'Sir yes Sir' you keep hearing)
#2 - the crew management in RFB is one of the best and most realistic. Yes it does need some hand input, but that is needed due to hard coded features.
In short - you don't need to drag the guys over every time you submerge. Dragging two guys (those from the active watch) will be enough to put them to man the dive planes in the control room - this was done because in stock you could either have crew on dive planes or no crew on them. RFB simulates it so that when on surface you don't see people manning the dive planes as it is - pointless.
As for the rest of the watch crew and Hogan's Alley - do this only when you're expecting to be DC-ed. It is like rigging for a DC attack. Adds to realism, at least for me.
Also - I do assume that you do use Battle Stations Command? This is one of the major advantages of SH4 over SH3.
#3 - if by moving the guys below manually you refer to the 'submersible watch crew' bug, then my advice to you is to stop alt-tabing out of the game while playing. This is a known bug which is present even in SH5 and can not be fixed. A lot of things can go wrong if you alt-tab out of the game while on patrol so it is best not to do it.
#4 - as for the stadimeter giving you different ranges than the sonar - that is how it is supposed to be. You need to get 5-6 range estimations by sonar and take a middle value to get the accurate range to target. Is is an approximation. Sonar isn't at all dead on accurate. As for the stadimeter - it was highly inaccurate in real life, the way we have it in the game is actually unreal. This comes from the wrong mast hight data in the real ship recognition manuals.
In short, you should do some more reading and inform your self before criticising the RFB mod. I know I've had the similar attitude in the beginning. In the end, I love RFB. It has by far the best Enviroment mod and ship sinking physics are notch above other supermods IMO. RFB isn't with out its flaws, but it is closest to my version of what simulation is. Maybe TMO will suit your needs better.