I do not believe it @admin
Here is how to do it.
Add recoil guns animation only when in 'On board mode' Zoomed in (aiming mode) can look from side to side, but limited to 180 degree arc. Animate guns only inside 180 degree arc, boom Done. You do not see other ships guns recoil because you are locked in On board/aim camera. Smoke takes care of enemy ship animation -it's not needed.
Add far zoom for ship and completely remove gun and sailors on ships when in 'zoom all the way out" mode. Your problem is your camera distance.
Have 3 camera modes
1. On board - Animate guns , but control view point and animation at 180 degree arc. Do not animate anything else outside the arc.
2. Default what we have now, no animation. Medium zoom.
3. Zoom out far enough to disable animations and moving sailors on board + reduce on board details. Make them small enough that they no longer needed.
Hope I solved the long impossible animation problem.
Example of "far" zoom, you do not need sailors and gun animations, details at this range.