what were The Old Men thinking?

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i was watching Das Boot - again!
i am also on patrol north of ireland in my own world.
i have 12.000 tons under the ocean.
i have a good and seasoned crew in mid 1940. there have been no tranfers, but i have lost one man to and aeroplane attack.
i got to the point in Das Boot were the old man - full of deadly frustration - tries it on with the destroyer and nearly gets in the neck.
for some reason it has only dawned on me now what a foolish move this was by him - he could have sacrifised his crew for a lousy destroyer.
i would never do that. but because i saw him do this in the film (and maybe this was done for dramatic purpose in the film) i went to my patrol after watching and went about my duties as a Kaleun.
i had recently sunk a local merchant for not very much and then proceeded for the Task Force i had been signalled about. then, out of nowhere came 'ship spotted.'
i came upstairs to take a look and sure enough it was a ship. clear blue sky flat calm what could be better. sneak in submerged and finish it off.
then i realised it was a destroyer that had not seen us, so i did the sensible thing a proceeded to attack with the deck gun ( ?????????WTH?????).
yes, the deck gun - just what you need on a flat calm day 7000 meters from potnetial death.
so, he saw me in the end - i made sure of that. shells dropping around him like children jumping in off a bridge.
then he came for me - and it was then at that moment i realised i was a knob.
i dived. ( oh, great, a sign of proffesionalism!)
he was on me in ten minutes. cans exploding all round. i had only 30 meters below me. i was sure i would die, having sacrifised my well seasoned crew for a paultry destroyer, several thousand tons.
i took damage. it was shallow. i was going to die. and there was no where to run. so i took another chance. i waited till he was over me and heading away. i climbed through the exploding cans to periscope depth always turning
towards him - hard to Port.
whe i saw him in my scope he was about 900meters away and closing, turning for a run in.
this time luck was with me.
as he came on to me straight i came on to him staight. i waited - tube loaded caps open.
then as he came to just under 500 meters, i let him have it with 23 seconds. he was turning in from his zig. and lucky for me on this occasion he got it
right under the bow. i dived to twenty pulling hard to starboard, checking him all the time untill my scope was under.
he had stoped quiet soon. i heard two sharp explosions. surface to periscope depth and he was sinking.
i let out a cheer, sat here. and then watched him go under..
all this time i couldnt help think, what was the Old Man thinking as he went for that destroyer. he must have known it was potentially useless - at worst fatal.
maybe it was done for dramatic effect or boredom or at worst frustration - but still.
look after the crew.