According to the report of the commander of the 4th Fighter Detachment-Polk (4fp) of the Baltic Navy Airforces (Central Navy Archive, Fond 989, Opis 0018714, Delo 11. List 156, 164, 1565, 166, 167) 4 Lavochkin La-5 starting from 12:05 till 12:30 (Moscow time), June 5, 1944, had a sever struggle with 27 Junkers Ju-87 divebombers and 6 Focke Wulf Fw-190 fighters 5 km from the island Vigrunt to the west at a height of 4300 meter. At 12:55 another four La-5's took of and were ordered to attack a Do-24 which was reported 15 km west of the island Big Vigrunt. There was also mention of the four escorting Fw-190 fighters.

At 13:42 the Soviet pilots were flying at 1000 meter height and noticed the German aircraft and attacked them. Two La-5's under the command of Lieutenant Shestopalov attacked two Fw-190's and the other two La-5's under the command of Lieutenant Potyomkin attacked the remaining two Fw-190's and the Do-24. At first Potyomkin shot down one of the Fw-190's and while turning (at 13:45 from right under at 200 meter height from a distance of 25 meter) he attacked the Do-24 which was flying a course of 270. Potyomkin fired three long bursts. After the attack the Do-24 fell into the water 20-25 km south-west from the island Vigrunt.

Lieutenant Alexander Potyomkin was born on January 18th 1923 in Novo-Alexandrosky in the Ordjonikidze region. He graduated in 1942 and was sent to the 4th fp where he started as a sergeant. He became a Senios Lieutenant on May 30th 1944 and received no less than 5 medals. The last one, the "Order of the Red Banner", he received on June 12th 1944 (most likely for shooting down two Do-24's and two Fw-190's on June 5th and 7th). After the war Lieutenant-Colonel Potyomkin graduated from the Aviation Academy in 1947 and was sent to the far east to take part in the Korean War as commander of 949 Squadron. He was killed when he was shot down on June 12th 1953.