No, the driver has a periscope of sorts, but you know, with the turret right behind it, it can't face backwards. Of course you could have the commander standing up out of the turret, but without winter clothes, that's just inviting frostbite for all.
And this is less of a problem with the German army being told not to retreat?
Which means the tank will be spend a lot of the time going in reverse, with the driver blind to what he's about to drive into.
Which means that the tank will spend a lot of time either facing the way its supposed to face (and - correct me if I'm wrong - blindness isn't that big an issue for German tank designs at this point) in a fight, or not facing that way because it's not fighting and can drive away the same way as if it was advancing west(ish).
Most fighting retreats don't have all the retreaters under constant (as in 24 hours a day) assault, no matter how tenacious the pursuer is.
Not really enough to make a difference.
OTL:
[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]December 8th:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif] The Russian offensive against Army Group Centre before Moscow succeeds in breaking through the German lines in many places, causing hasty withdrawals by ill-prepared and frost-bitten troops that are forced to abandon much heavy equipment immobilized by the below-zero weather. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]December 9th:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif] Russian forces recapture Klin and Tikvin. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]December 13th:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif] Russian forces launch a counter-offensive from the Kalinin area toward besieged Leningrad. German forces of Army Group Centre evacuate Tula. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]December 14th:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif] German forces evacuate Kalinin.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]December 16th:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif] German forces of Army Group Centre are ordered by Hitler to defend their positions at all costs and any withdrawal is forbidden.
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]December 18th:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif] Field Marshal Von Brauchitsch resigns as head of OKH, Hitler himself assuming personal command of the Heer, especially of its operations on the Eastern front. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]December 20th:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif] German forces of Army Group Centre retreating from the front before Moscow reach new defensive lines more than 100 miles to the west, where, following strict orders by Hitler, they are to stand and fight off any further Russian advances. [/FONT]
So at least 8+ miles a day (and depending on when we count the retreat as having started) and that with Hitler specifically forbidding it mid way through.
How is something where the Germans are trying to make an organized retreat from the beginning instead of this forced-back-involuntarily going to be no better?
The russian troops are more prepared for that terrain and weather, they have ski troopers, and their tanks have wide tracks.
Oh sure. But that's an advantage they have with anything short of the Germans gaining the elven Walk-on-Snow ability - and unless the German army is remaining static (not just no retreating but lined up without manuevering).
Frankly, this is sounding like a lose from November 29 on whatever the Germans do.
Not just the war on the whole, but any plan to deal with the Russian response.
So my question, as you seem to be more knowledgable than I am on German tanks - how much will they suffer trying to retreat in an organized, deliberate fashion back to better defense lines from the beginning, as distinct from their losses OTL?
The poor bloody infantry is just going to die, but heavy Panzer casualties probably mean lost crews and lost machines.