Great story!
I had a similar low visibility experience the other night. I knew a convoy was just ahead, I'd tracked them on the 'phones, but since they were moving so fast I decided to track them on the surface.
Well, visibility was horrible! 100m, if that! I was creeping along in the storm and the fog, but not seeing anything. Kept sweeping back and forth. Finally took out my binocs and looked around, no details at all. Dropping my binoculars I notice the water infront of my boat is foamy... I look up to the left and there, not 10m from the nose of my boat, is the stern of a tanker having just passed me! I must have looking into the side of his ship and not seen it!
Remembering they were in formation, I quickly calculate a shot on the location of the far ship and los! After a minute I hear a muffled explosion and see a hint of fire! I'd hit whatever ship had been sailing along side the one I just barely missed colliding with.
By now, I know the next rank of ships is coming up on my location, and the convoy's been alerted. I keep seeing flashes of search lights trying to pierce the fog...
It's only because of these lights that I'm able to get targets of any of the rest of the ships. If they'd just stayed unlit, they'd have made it safely away.