Advice/Help How Realistic Should I Go?

[The Lonely Astronaut]

Hey!
Here's the thing... I'm in the making of a World War 2 roleplay. I'd like to capture the immersion of the war and I want the players to get a realistic experience. My original plan was that we would roleplay as a full Rifle Squad. As I'm writing the roles/spots down - the roles of a Rifle Squad during WW2 - I realize that it might get a little bit "too much".
In a Rifle Squad there is twelve roles. You can break it up in to three "seperate" teams. Abel Team would have a Squad Leader and two Rifleman Scouts. Baker Team would have one Automatic Rifleman, an Assisting Auto. Rifleman and an Ammunition Bearer. Last but not least, Charley Team would have an Assisting Squad Leader, two Riflemen Grenadiers and three Riflemen.
This is the way that I'd like the roleplay to be. However, my concern is that I won't get twelve people to join, and especially not with those roles. I can understand if someone finds some of the roles boring.
My second plan is that I do a roleplay of six players. Where we roleplay as Charley Team in a Rifle Squad. Maybe that I spice it up by having a medic and a Radio Telephone Operator in the team as well. Perhaps a sniper? (Although that isn't how it was.)

I can't decide on how I should do it? I believe the second one would attract more players, and maybe give them a better experience. (Since some of them may not be that in to WW2, and maybe they don't know exactly how it acutally was done.)
Thanks in advance!​

 

[Idea]

Why not present both options in interest check? In your interest check state that depending on how many players you get, there will be one set of roles or the other. I advise the players have to sign up by stating which role they want from both possible role sets, and try waiting. If you can get twelve players on time, great. If you can't then go for the shorter role and players still won't be disappointed I think.


In the end of the day, it's your choice though. Good luck!

 

[The Lonely Astronaut]

Why didn't I think of that? Haha! Thank you for the answer! =)​

 

[Idea]

Why didn't I think of that? Haha! Thank you for the answer! =)​

No problem. That's why communication exists, sometimes all we need to brighten those light bulbs is a little bit of a different perspective XD

 

[MiracleGrazer]

I'm not an expert on US Army organization, but if you think every squad must have the exact TO in order to deploy or engage in combat, you're way in the wrong! Even though the US Military had a lot of manpower to pull from, there must have been cases where elements were above or below the standard size due to casualties or replacements.

 

[The Lonely Astronaut]

MiracleGrazer Well, this is the basic Rifle Squad in an infantry unit during the Second World War. Since the Squad the roleplay's about have not seen combat before, casualties, is not an "option". =)​

 

[Sacrifice]

I would just give one person two or three roles depending on how many people were interested and whether or not they could handle it, because having that many people in an RP is very, very, very, veeeeeery difficult to efficiently coordinate.