Editing War hammer (section)

==Design==
[[File:OHM - Streithammer.jpg|thumb|Detail of the head of a war hammer]]
A war hammer consists of a handle and a head. The length of the handle may vary, the longest being roughly equivalent to that of a [[halberd]] (five to six feet or 1.5 to 1.8 meters), and the shortest about the same as that of a [[mace (bludgeon)|mace]] (two to three feet or 60 to 90 centimeters). Long war hammers were [[polearm]]s meant for use on horseback, whereas short ones were used by foot soldiers.<ref>[https://www.medievalchronicles.com/medieval-weapons/medieval-warhammer/ warhammer, medievalchronicles.com]</ref>

War hammers, especially when mounted on a pole, could in some cases transmit their impact through helmets and cause [[concussion|concussions]]. Later war hammers often had a spike on one side of the head, making them more versatile weapons.

The spike end could be used for grappling the target's armor, reins, or shield. If against mounted opponents, the weapon could be directed at the legs of a horse, toppling the armored foe to the ground where they could be more easily attacked. The blunt side of a war hammer was usually used first to knock down and stun an enemy and, once the opponent were immobilized on the ground, the hammer is rotated around to hit the target with the pointed side, which can punch a hole through the helmet and deliver the [[coup de grâce]]. A powerful swing from a war hammer (especially with the spike) can deliver a strike force of several hundred kilograms per square millimeter{{snd}}this is the same penetrating force as a [[rifle]] [[bullet]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-01-13 |title=Medieval Weapons: War Hammer. Types of War Hammers, Facts, History |url=https://medievalbritain.com/type/medieval-life/weapons/medieval-war-hammer/ |access-date=2022-11-14 |website=Medieval Britain |language=en-US}}</ref>