As war grew nearer, the SS were permitted the right to use Army land for war games. Safety practices were not followed with Himmler stating that the SS must be used to “being within 50 to 70 meters of the explosions of his own artillery fire.”⁷² For context, in standard military practice “the method of engagement when the target is (rounds will impact) within 600 meters of friendly troops” is considered “danger[ously] close” which indicates a certain degree of risk for friendly personnel.⁷³

Himmler noted that it was sad that prime German youth must sadly be cut down in training accidents, but there was a method behind the idea to ignore safety in war games.⁷⁴ This came from an idea that suggested that the pain endured during training would ensure that when war came the Waffen SS would be ready to perform at their highest possible level and save lives in the long run.

The casualty rates of the SS did not support the notion that the dangerous training methods were effective. Tim Ripley’s analysis of combat on the Eastern Front suggests that some units suffered somewhere “in the region of 75 percent casualty rates.”⁷⁵ These casualty rates are supported by where the SS divisions found themselves in combat. When combat started the Waffen SS commonly found themselves at the tip of the proverbial spear for German assaults.

(Source.)

Reminds me of Starship Troopers.