Brief Description:  The battering ram was a devastating siege weapon used to breach the walls and gates of fortifications. It consisted of a massive, heavy timber suspended by ropes or chains inside a wheeled, roofed shed called a "tortoise" or "cat," which shielded the operators from enemy fire.

Key Features and Mechanics:

The Beam: The core of the weapon was a massive tree trunk, often shaved down and reinforced along its length with metal bands to prevent splitting.

The Head: The striking end was typically capped with a heavy iron or bronze head, often forged into the shape of a ram’s head (hence the name). Some designs substituted this with a heavy, pointed metal tip designed to drill through mortared masonry.

Suspension System: Instead of being carried, the heavy beam hung from suspensory ropes or chains attached to the framework of the mobile shed. This allowed a crew of soldiers to generate massive swinging momentum with far less physical effort.

The Protective Canopy: Early rams left soldiers vulnerable to falling projectiles and boiling liquids. Later medieval rams featured heavy wooden sheds draped with fire-resistant materials, such as wet animal hides or wetted fleece, to deflect arrows and extinguish burning pitch.

Tactical Use: The operators rhythmically swung the timber back and forth against a single structural point. Repeated impacts concentrated massive kinetic energy into a small area, eventually splintering wooden gates or crumbling weakened stones.