Interesting picture Yorktown in reverse, landing plane

Here is what is to me an interesting picture,
the USS Yorktown is sailing in reverse, the aft end of
her flight deck is full, and a airplane is preparing to
land, flying in over her bow.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/021019.jpg

Some of the discussion from:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/10.htm

"NS021037
USS Yorktown going at 20kts full astern, ready to take aircraft landing
over the bow. The midships and after flight deck is full of parked aircraft,
the deck-edge radio masts are folded down to the side for flight operations.
Note four 40mm quads grouped around the island (USN photo, possibly
taken not long before image NS021019, below)."

http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/021019.jpg
"NS021019
The Yorktown steams full astern to land a TBF Avenger over the bow,
July 1943. Though provision for over-the-bow landing was a design
requirement, it was rarely practiced and the bow arresting gear was
soon eliminated."

From a discussion at the newsgroup
alt.binaries.pictures.military