 What would become the battalion was formed on 10 July 1941 as the 28th Infantry Division Provisional Antitank Battalion, and on 15 December was redesignated as the 628th Tank Destroyer Battalion (constituted 3 December 1941 in the Army of the United States), in line with the reorganization of the anti-tank force.On 7 March 1942, the battalion was redesignated as a National Guard unit and allotted to the Pennsylvania National Guard.During training, in 1943, the battalion provided a cadre to form the nucleus of the 648th Tank Destroyer Battalion.