Why early dreadnoughts carried awkward turret layouts

Why did early dreadnoughts use shallow or wing-turret layouts, and why did all-centerline batteries take time to appear?

Designers wanted the greatest possible gun count and strong forward fire, so tactical priorities delayed adoption of the cleaner all-centerline arrangement.

Early dreadnought layouts reflected tactical expectations as much as mechanical limits. Designers tried to maximize total guns and particularly end-on fire, producing wing turrets and other arrangements that later appeared inefficient. The move to centerline batteries followed a change in what navies expected the main armament to do.