SS Heinrich  Himmler , the head of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and the second most  powerful man in Germany after Adolf Hitler (qv), was promoted to  the ran at the age of 29. However, as he was still living at the  time the film was produced and was still a committed Nazi, his  character was quickly changed to a fictitious Regular German Army  officer, so as not to give Peiper any connection to the film or risk  a libel suit. It was Peipers unit of the Waffen