the captain goes down with the ship

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

 * 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.

Translations

 * 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
 * Spanish: el capitán se hunde con su barco