The only tank company of the 101 was the 2nd (Wittmann"s) and he only had about 5 running tanks at that moment. His plan (which worked) was to cut off the main body of Cromwells and let them pass, knocking out the last two to block the road behind them, then turn down the road towards Villers Bocage, destroying the remainder of the column in detail, a few more Cromwells, a couple of Shermans, several M-5’s, halftracks, and Universal Carriers. He ordered 2, or 3 of his tanks to head off the head of the British column (the Cromwells he let pass), and they, with infantry, dealt with those British tanks who could neither advance further, retreat, or even turn around, knocking out tanks and taking the crews prisoner. Some authorities claim Wittmann stationed his remaining running tank in a concealed position with a field of fire down the road to the town as his back-up.
In that morning action, at a cost of a single Tiger tank, Wittmann stopped the vanguard of a divisional advance at Villers Bocage. Further attacks that afternoon from elements from 101 st, Reg. , 2nd Pz Div, and 17 ss Pz. Grenadier, forced a British retreat back to their starting point.
Very brief summary: He took one for the team ?
Or, (from the German point of view perhaps) “Cometh the hour, cometh the man”.
I’m not going to be that presumptuous, but, maybe. 
According to one of my sources - “The Panzers and the Battle of Normandy”, by Georges Bernage - states that Tiger 223 commanded by a Jurgen Brandt, was one of the Tigers that destroyed the head of the column of Cromwells. Sowa is mentioned as commanding one of those tanks - but not in his own. A Rottenfuhrer Lau claims. that because of the loss of his commander, and he spotted Sowa without a tank, he (Lau) “invited” Sowa to take command of that tank. Unfortunately, no mention of that tank’s number is given, but it must be in the “22…” range.
Being a tactical wizard by nature(small scale) would imply best at platoon level. I say that because most tank companies were not operating as one unit most of the time, often platoons were attached as support to another company or battalion… So being in headquarters may not have been that beneficial or useful.