Turret orientation keeps weight amidships

Why point an aft turret toward the stern rather than forward?

Orienting the turret that way keeps its heaviest components closer to the center of the ship and concentrates weight amidships.

The visible direction of the barrels is only one part of a turret arrangement. Machinery, armor, and rotating mass occupy substantial space below deck, so orientation changes where that weight sits along the hull. Pointing a turret outward can keep its heaviest components closer to the ship's center. The choice reduces weight concentration toward the ends of the hull.