I've heard that the recoil from those 16" guns would drive the ship sideways in the opposite direction.
In that photo of the USS NJ, there seems to be a wide "wake" trailing of to Port, suggesting that she was indeed being driven sideways to starboard.
Never seen one in action but I have heard the same. Wish we still had a few useable Iwoa class battleships. Nothing not even b52's can pound enemy positions like a battleship. They are expensive to operate but when you need big guns there is no substitute for a battleship.