While playing tonight, I've had two things happen to me pertaining to this thread:
First, a side hit on a Sherman with a Faust didn't kill, but set it on fire. I'm pretty sure I hit the extra armor (in the form of tank treads slapped onto the side of the hull), so that may be the answer to this conundrum. And I accept that.
Second, and far more disturbing, I fired a PanzerShrek at an enemy Sherman it did not die instantly. I fired it at the front, and it set it on fire, but the tank didn't die. I may have (in fact, remembering now, I think I did) hit the gun mantle, but should it matter? I thought the Shrek was supposed to be so overly powerful it could slice through any armor on any Sherman with one shot, no matter where it hit? This is compounded by the fact that this happened on Lebisey, where Shreks are solely pick up kits, and, by conventional wisdom, should be stronger than the spawn-able Fausts...
Whoa, that came out alot angrier than I intended. I don't mean to offend anyone, but I really and truly thought that the Shrek could kill a Sherman from any angle, no matter what. Sorry for sounding meaner than I intended...