there is off map arty in the 30s - formations 89-92.
(Open Mobhack, load Nationalist china - use the menu for database check utilities, and in formation tab, select the check unit class sub-tab, and select appropriate class will show all formations that contain such - class 10, and class 155. The unit check tabs will do the same for all units).
As to firing arty blind - if you are searching an area, then why not - if there is reasonable separation from your troops. You wil need to determine "danger close" for your troops capabilities. Maybe 500 yards (20 hexes) in front, since your troops wil be fragile till they reach 75+ experience, on recieving any friendly drop-shorts. I am happy enough to drop it 3-4 hexes in front of e.g UK, GE or RUS troops in the 40s on. And I really do not bother much to get FOOS up front - if visibility is good I will put them on a dminating hill perhaps. In the assault - I may call the first rounds onto a critical bunker with the FOO at the rear, for the quicker call time, and then once his mission has arrived and completed, take it over with a nearby line HQ unit with LOS, using fire-adjustment rather than a complete call from scratch.
Militia type troops are not much use as support if going forwards. Can be useful speed bumps in defence,
if positioned in a good defensive area. Woods, towns, rough, or shell an area of your defended zone with heavy arty (for craters) and move them into that after.
When advancing - support points go on arty, mortars, ammo units for onmap arty, a few scouts and scout vehicles maybe, some support APC for your leg grunts perhaps, engineers etc. About the only use for militia I could see in the attack is as a second wave - to take over and hold taken objectives while the more reliable troops exploit onwards.
The Communist Chinese were
not supplied with Soviet armour in the civil war period (I have modified the 5/45 WW2 LC onwards so it is guaranteed coms fight nats in both LCs, this is one of the longest WW2 LCS you can take part in - 30 to 48). They used captured japanese tanks (as did the nationalists, though they had some USA supplies too) - but even then, Stalin did not get on with the Chinese Communists and thier "impure" socialist doctrine (in other words they did not kow-tow to Moscow and were impertinent enough to desire independance from the Soviet CCP
). So the only Russian stuff available is in the 30s when SU, Italy, and Germany were active advisors in the area. And even then - the Chicom tanks were used more as "bateries" of armoured sp-arty in the direct infantry support role than in any sort of maneuver/cavalry role.
Wiki is not a useful/reliable source - but useful as a starting point e.g
Wiki article.
As for PLA tanks
Birth of the PLA tank force covers that. Basically - the Soviets
did supply 100 tanks and 700 arty pieces - but war booty from the Japanese surrender, and
not USSR models. And the tank force was initially designated as "Mobile Artillery" up to 1949, when the actual PLA Tank Force was born.
Cheers
Andy