Location
Rongelap Atoll is located in the Ralik Chain in the centeral Marshall Islands. At the center is Rongelap Lagoon. To the south is Rongerik Atoll. To the west is Bikini Atoll and to the southwest is Ailinginae Atoll.

Prewar
In 1884, German claimed Rongelap Atoll and the rest of the Marshall Islands.

Wartime History
Attacked by U.S. aircraft during 1944.

American missions against Rongelap
February 2, 1944

February 2, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Tarawa bomb Rongelap Island.

Postwar
Rongelap Atoll islanders were evacuated prior to U.S. hydrogen bomb tests. In 1954, Rongelap Atoll was devastated by fallout from the Castle Bravo test.

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Last Updated
October 23, 2019