Are there lookouts when snorting?

Greetings. Running GWX 2.0 at 100% and it's October 1944 during first patrol of Trondheim based U-1021, having sunk three for 14,000+ GRT near the North Channel and Outer Hebrides. Six weeks out and returning to base after spending 37-days submerged, most of it in awful weather. Generally snorted twice a day but the evening the weather cleared I got hammered by an undetected aircraft that destroyed the upper deck, flak guns, schnorkel and both periscopes. Got the boat under control at 220 metres and have fixed what can be fixed.

Have read that when snorting, a watchkeeper manned the observation periscope continuously and I was running with the observation scope up and at TC x64 in the navigation screen when the attack hit. No warning, but then no god's eye view either. This represents my first serious SH3 career and I hope to be able to concentrate on fighting the Allies rather than limitations in the game.

When snorting, is somebody keeping watch if a scope is up?

If not, how do those late-war patrollers and Type XXI Captains out there conduct schnorkelling operations?

Any advice or insights are appreciated, thanks in advance.
Good Hunting.