SPWAW is a different game by a different group, which is nothing to do with us. Therefore, it is unwise to expect too much similarity in the ways things work. Especially as our code uses SPII as a base, and thiers SPIII.
1) these may be the 5cm so-called "knee mortars" - they may well disable tin-clad tankettes. I presume you have the carden lloyds? - class 1 all round. Warhead size does add to the HE kill, though HE AP needs a
very good dice roll unless way over the nominal plate armour. These GL have WH 3. HE ammo though does not get the critical hit advantage in direct fire mode - only AP rounds do.
2)Japan has the air superiority most of the time. Aircraft tend to spot vehicles first over infantry.
Exploding friendly tanks nearby is not good for morale, and neither is having troops in rout, especially for units with fragile morale, and the militia are certainly that!. I would not buy them, exept maybe as auxiliaries in a "speed bump" role in defence (being dug in helps).
3) the AAMG formation only starts in 1936. The unit is available from 1930 on, but it is the
formation availability that counts. Formation 27 in the OOB - see Mobhack. That will be because whoever designed that OOB decided there was no effective nationalist AAA before then. However since the unit is available - you can upgrade between battles from a suitable core unit type (e.g. HMG).
4) If you don't like the generated map - then by all means re-spin it with the map editing controls available in the purchase screen. (Game Guide - "Purchase Screen" link, "View Map" button, also GG, "View Map" link).
As to the arty delay - why wait till you bump into the enemy? - the whole point of arty is that it can fire into areas that are "blind" to you. Simply call in fire ahead of your troops advance a little ahead of when you expect contact then when it is falling, use the adjustment keys to repeat missions a few hexes further forward with little delay and advance behind arolling barrage. (invest in ammo supply units).
5) SPWAW was based on the same SPIII code that assumed every unit was a
platoon of 2 or more "points" (and you could choose to show them as 3 or 4 tichy little mini-icons) - so it probably still does. Therefore each unit was a command (0) element able to call fire.
This game is of course
not based on the SPIII Brigade-level code with platoon-level units, here units are individuals. Just like SPI and SPII, only observers and formation commanders can call for arty fires.
I've just checked the Natinalist Chinese WW2 LC - and there is an error which will not allow the communist or nationalist chinese warlords as opponents - and will be fixed for next release. (the same syntax error was copied over into the chicom LC as well
.
Cheers
Andy