the captain goes down with the ship

English

Etymology

From the maritime tradition that a sea captain holds ultimate responsibility for both their ship and everyone embarked on it, and in an emergency will either save those on board or die trying.

Proverb

the captain goes down with the ship

1. A leader is ultimately responsible for the penalities of a catastrophe, even if they result from external causes or the misactions of others under the leader's purview.

   Synonym: the buck stops here

Translations

a leader is ultimately responsible for the penalties of a catastrophe

• French: le capitaine sombre avec son navire
• German: der Kapitän geht als Letzter von Bord
• Italian: il comandante affonda con la nave
• Russian: капитан покидает корабль последним (kapitan pokidajet korablʹ poslednim)
• Spanish: el capitán se hunde con su barco