"Steve" wrote in message
...

gun stuff snipped.

It will greatly increase accuracy even if the
target is moving. Especially if the target is moving with a constant
velocity, like a car driving down the road. But even if the target is
bobbing like a boat, as long as the motion is predictable.

I do not think that the lifeboat was bobbing about in the sort of way of a
powerless boat would be in a choppy sea.
The US warship had it on tow and although it could not have been going very
fast that would be enough to stabilise the motion of the towed boat and
possibly made it more predictable.
So, it was still very good shooting but not as difficult as some have
suggested, especially if these guys were trained sharpshooters...