GND CONFLICT AND 2 ACFT DAMAGED DURING AN MD80 GATE DEP PROC AT NIGHT IN STL; MO.

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PUSHBACK FROM GATE X (STL) BEGAN AT XA00 LCL. BOTH ENGS WERE STARTED AT THE GATE DUE TO INOP APU. PUSHBACK WAS NORMAL. PUSHBACK CREW STATED HE HAD PUSHED US BACK SHORT AND ASKED ME TO PARK THE BRAKES. HE ASKED IF I COULD TAXI OUT FROM THAT POS AND I RESPONDED THAT I COULD. DURING THE TOW BAR DISCONNECT; THE CREW HAD DIFFICULTY DISCONNECTING THE TOW BAR AND THEY JOLTED AND BANGED THE ACFT AROUND. THE TUG WAS CLOSE TO 90 DEGS TO THE ACFT. THE TOW BAR WAS FINALLY DISCONNECTED (IT TOOK SEVERAL MINS); AND WE WERE CLRED AND GIVEN A SALUTE TO TAXI. TAXI TO THE L WAS INITIATED AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY A LOUD SOUND AND SHAKING OCCURRED IN THE AREA OF THE NOSEWHEEL. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT. I FELT THAT SOMETHING HAD BROKEN ON THE NOSEWHEEL DUE TO THE TOW BAR DISCONNECT PROB. I REQUESTED LINE MAINT AND THEY QUICKLY PLUGGED IN AND WE DISCUSSED MY CONCERN. I WAS ASSURED BY LINE MAINT THAT NO DAMAGE WAS VISIBLE. HE DISCONNECTED AND I BEGAN A NORMAL TAXI OUT AFTER THE SALUTE. NO PROBS WERE FELT OR EXPERIENCED AND I PROCEEDED TO TAXI. AT THAT TIME GND CTL SAID THAT OUR COMPANY HAD REQUESTED WE RETURN TO THE GATE BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO OUR ACFT. I PARKED AT GATE AND WAS INFORMED THAT WE HAD DAMAGE TO OUR R HORIZ STABILIZER DUE TO IMPACT WITH THE TAIL OF THE MD80 THAT WAS PARKED AT THE NEXT GATE TO THE R. DURING THE TIME FROM START TO STOP; I FEEL OPS AND PROCS WERE NORMAL. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL IN STL TO BE PUSHED BACK TO MANY DIFFERENT POS WITH REF TO THE GATES. SOMETIMES YOU WILL BE PUSHED 'DEEP' AND SOMETIMES YOU WILL BE PUSHED 'SHORT.' I HONESTLY FELT NO CONCERN BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS SURROUNDED BY WING WALKERS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 538554: TOW BAR DISCONNECT WAS SO ROUGH; FLT ATTENDANTS IN TAIL FELT THE JOLTS. RECEIVED SALUTE; FLASHED LIGHT; CLR L; CLR R; AND STARTED TAXI. L TURNOUT. IMMEDIATELY; AFTER TRAVELING A FEW FT; HEARD LOUD NOISES AND JERKING COMING FROM NOSE GEAR AREA. EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN STEERING; STOPPED ACFT. SIGNALED GND CREW TO RETURN AND CALLED MAINT. DAMAGE TO THE ELEVATORS ON OUR ACFT AND PARKED ACFT AT GATE.