I don't think using the "auto" solution in the submarine case is cheating. In real life the captain of the submarine does not usually calculate the angle of attack, speed, depth and many things to launch a torpedo, it is usually calculated by the officers on the bridge and that is all and after the invention of the TDC that was more easier.
I remember many submarine books about the Pacific campaign, and the captain or officer who uses the attack periscope or the one on the bridge simply says mark, mark, so that the other, based on that data, can calculate course, speed and anything while looking at the target.
I think that many people use submarine simulators, be it Dangerous Waters, or any of WWII, as if the captain did everything in it and micromanaged everything to the smallest detail, nothing could be further from the reality. If you want to play "realistic" just let the AI officers do their job!
