Need to learn manual targetting

[xlbob]

I finished my first patrol of my 3rd career last night. I join 2d flottila and assigned to go to the atlatic. Can't remember the grid, but it's right there at the Rockfall or rockland bank(?).

Heading west from Shetland, the weather went bad and stayed bad all the way. After finishing my patrol, on my way back I got a convoy report on grid AM 51 or somewhere near that grid. Since I was nearby I decided to intercet the convoy. But the weather was really bad, and my sonarman is a new guy ... he couldn't hear anything on the hydrophone

I had a really close encounter with one of the merchants. Since the weather was realy bad and it was night, WO only spotted the ship when it was near my boat. I ordered periscope depth and tried to track the ship with my periscope. I could see the ship, but that little triangle, target marker, on the periscope never appeared

I couldn't fire my torp. So I sneak away from the convoy, surface the boat and tried to intercept it again. I was able to position my boat on the convoy's path again. But just like before, the weather was still bad and visibility level was really low. Same thing happen. WO spotted a merchant, when it's almost collided with my boat, and that #@##@ target marker never appeared.

There's also another ship nearby, but it was barely visible ... I followed it while slowing down to add some distance, hoping the target marker will appear ... but again, no target marker.

Finally I decided to leave the convoy alone. I figured there's no way I could get a good shoot in that weather. At the end of my patrol I only sank 4 ships. 2 small merchants, a coastal tanker and a passenger/caro ship. Total tonnage was about 7000 ton.

Looks like it's time for me to learn Manual targetting.

Now my question to you guys who use manual targetting: in the situation like the one that I was in i.e., bad weather, rain, low visibility, will you be able to fire your torps and sink some ships?

Thanks,