Machinery and weight distribution shaped Lion's turret layout

Why did Lion-class battlecruisers place a turret amidships rather than in a conventional superfiring arrangement?

The layout reflected weight distribution and the need to fit machinery, gearboxes, and boilers within the hull.

The Lion, Moltke, and Tiger arrangements reflected the practical problem of placing propulsion equipment. Gearboxes, boilers, and the distribution of machinery weight restricted where another heavy turret could sit. An early British battlecruiser method began with a current battleship design, then lengthened and lightened it, removed a turret, and added machinery. The unusual amidships position therefore records the internal engineering compromises behind the ship's speed.