Tiger's turret gap reflects machinery and hull balance

Why did HMS Tiger have such a large gap between her after turrets?

The spacing followed from the position of the turbines and gearing and from the need to balance the hull.

HMS Tiger's turret arrangement cannot be explained by gunnery geometry alone. The machinery spaces and reduction gearing occupied specific lengths inside the hull and constrained where the barbettes could sit. Naval architects also had to distribute weight so the ship remained properly balanced. The apparent gap between the after turrets is therefore a visible consequence of the propulsion plant and the whole-ship layout beneath the deck.