http://i.imgur.com/Ev3neuE.jpg
Did people really do this?
Procopius states that the Franks would hurl small axes at their enemies just before they closed for hand-to-hand combat in order to shatter shields, kill soldiers, and disrupt the formation, so kind of, yes.
You might also want to look at Richard Underwood's Anglo-Saxon Weapons and Warfare for more information (he also references Procopius)