This takes me back to when I worked my first beeyard at 13/14 years old with my classmate of many years and fellow 8th grader, he took me to his backyard, moderately wooded in a rural area, about 1/4 acre, some tall grass about. He had 11 hives.
He did his best to point his hives toward the Sun, but even added another 30 degrees direction to allow for the hive body to point so the prevailing winds would cut into two 45 degree angle cuts at the back of the hive, slicing the wind instead of having prevailing winds constantly slam the back or side of the hives. aiming a corner at know winds, here it is SSW as predictable as could be except for bad weather. We do get WHOPPER North Eastern weather that will jack up to 60+ miles an hour, a dozen times every Winter, sometimes for days. He beaved by reducing the cold wind that would hit his hive, compared to redirecting the wind around likely saved him 15% more honey each season.
Mike my friend and mentor had a real point for general bee yards more in the open that his (in his case the trees would have made a great wind break) but in the open fields here, I think Mike may have been on to something. But NO I have never seen a hive body tossed over IF it were on a proper base. Old plastic milk crates only last so long. :) some of the stuff people put 3 or 4 deep hives on is crazy, OSHA would have a field day.