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* This almost happens to Captain Jack Harkness at the end of the two-part episode of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' that introduced him. He uses his ship to capture a German bomb about to kills the Doctor and Rose. Unfortunately, the bomb has already started the explosion sequence, and the only thing keeping it from exploding is a stasis field. However, the bomb ''is'' exploding slowly. Already in space, Jack orders the ship to jettison the bomb, only to receive the reply that this will cause the bomb to explode while inside the ship. Realizing it's over, he pours himself a glass of champagne and prepares to die in style. Then the Doctor shows up in the TARDIS to ruin the moment and saving the [[Lovable Rogue]].
** This happens with the captain of the space cruiser liner ''Titanic'' in "Voyage of the Damned". However, in this case, the captain is the one who causes its collision with meteors, having been paid to do so to care for his family. He stays on the bridge and dies during the impact. However, the Doctor manages to save the ship (but not {{spoiler|[[Always Save the Girl|the girl]]}}).
* In [[The Muppet Show]], Statler mentions that he was on the Titanic, to which Waldorf remarks that he still has the dress he (Statler) wore to get off.
 
== Literature ==
* The poem "Soldier an' Sailor Too" written by [[Rudyard Kipling]] as noted above. Although, unlike in Kipling's account, the soldiers who died aboard ''Birkenhead'' '''weren't''' Marines, but Army troops being transported to a new assignment.
* Joseph Conrad's uber-depressing short story ''The End of the Tether'' was about a Captain who went down with his ship, but that was entirely for the life insurance.
* In Golding's To The Ends Of The Earth trilogy (a great satire, deconstructing many sea tropes) we get this for poor {{spoiler|newly-made Commander Summers}} when the old ship catches fire and sinks. In the book he apparently has no time to flee, in the TV mini-series he could but he doesn't.
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* ''[[Dale Brown]]''s Sky Masters, the Chinese Admiral fails to invade Mindanao, and his ship gets struck by the Americans satellite. With his ship sinking he decides to sink with the ship and shoot himself, because even if he lives, he'll get court martialed, and executed by his superiors.
* Played very straight by Captain Jack Aubrey of the ''[[Master and Commander]]'' saga. In the book "Desolation Island", the HMS Leopard springs a very large leak and is in danger of sinking. Captain Aubrey lets the men bring out the boats and gives his First Lieutenant dispatches for the authorities, while he himself prepares to go down with the ship. The situation eventually improves, thankfully.
* A twist in [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]]' [[John Carter of Mars|Martian]] novels: traditionally, a (flying) ship caught in a hopeless battle can't surrender until ''the captain'' abandons ship -- by jumping over the side and falling to his death. Whenever it's shown, this is explicitly noted as a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] to save the lives of his crew.
 
 
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* Occurs in ''[[Free Space]]'' when the ''Galatea'' is destroyed by the ''Lucifer''. The ''Galatea'' launches escape pods, which you are charged with defending, but the the mission debriefing states that the Captain stayed behind and went down with his ship.
* ''[[Tron 2.0]]'' played it straight with {{spoiler|I-No, the old Tower Guardian}} who chose to de-rez with the server. However, it's discussed, then averted with {{spoiler|Alan and Jet}} when it comes to them {{spoiler|crashing the F-Con server}}.
* A cross between this and [[Taking You with Me]] in ''[[Starlancer]]'' with the captain of your first carrier evacuating the crew and then proceeding to [[Ramming Always Works|ram the ship]] into the Coalition flagship, killing the guy who orchestrated the sneak attack at Fort Kennedy at the beginning of the war. The Coalition admiral realizes too late what his old acquaintance is planning too late to prevent the collision.
 
 
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== Real Life ==
* HMS ''Birkenhead'' which was carrying over 600 people, men,mostly womensoldiers, with a number of wives and children. When the ship ran into a dangerous reef, the Captain ordered that women and children would go in the lifeboats first. and, realizingRealizing that adding any extra weight to the boats would swamp and sink them, itthe wasarmy officers aboard then ordered that all thetheir men were to stand at attention as the ship sank. They all did so, and while some managed to survive, all of the seniorssenior officers were killeddied. This is known as the "Birkenhead Drill".
* Dick Gregory mentioned once: "When I lost my rifle, the Army charged me 85 dollars. That is why in the Navy the Captain goes down with the ship."
* Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi, the admiral aboard the IJN ''Hiryu'', who chose to go down with his ship. He [[Take That|refused rescue]] and [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|chained himself to an anchor]] to ensure his death. The IJN lost one of its most brilliant flag officers.
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